Thread: Keeping ducks off a boat!

Originally Posted by Ryan

If the swimming platform is something that they frequently land on, maybe a layer of dishwashing liquid would mean that they couldn't stand on it properly?

Dunno, they seem happy enough to stand around on ice down here in the winter.

tie a couple of drums on the duck board so nowhere for them to sit....

Could a engineer make it fold up? Might be a cheap enough very simple solution.

Originally Posted by Woody

In adddition to a hawk effigy or large painting of one on the roof, string up a few shiny cd disks that can move in the breeze. Birds a scared by these and I see them in vinyards and orchards about the place.

Used CDs in my 4 bay shed. Never worked. Or might have worked a bit initially. Shed is home to swallows and f....n starlings. (Filthy bastards.)
Likewise the hawk effigy I bought off the local pest controller to scare the starlings. He guaranteed me it would work. Strung up using fishing nylon and it moved about nicely in the wind. Starlings sussed it out in no time.

Have to check tractor engine for nests every time I use it. Most common cause of tractor fires. Also have to cover my tractor, trailer, mower when not in use. The bastards even roost on the safety frame and crap away.

Feel for Ryan. Had a fleet of Muscovy ducks several years ago. Started with a pair and soon had a tribe. Nowhere to be seen during the day. Get up in the morning and they'd all be sitting on the back porch, amongst all their new shit. They all went to a "good" home ah mmmm, duck heaven.

Originally Posted by zimmer

Had a fleet of Muscovy ducks several years ago. Started with a pair and soon had a tribe. Nowhere to be seen during the day. Get up in the morning and they'd all be sitting on the back porch, amongst all their new shit. They all went to a "good" home ah mmmm, duck heaven.

I've a bunch of them, they are quite social and tend to hang about. But yes, their insistence on food is indeed as you described. My kids enjoy making the big drakes take off down to the ponds, as their flapping makes a big "wup wup wup" noise and kick up dust and leaves in a somewhat impressive manner.

I have seen road killed harrier hung in shed...no bird shit anywhere near it....

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Could a engineer make it fold up? Might be a cheap enough very simple solution.

What about a mat for the deck area. Leave on duck board, made to be folded in middle, so makes a A frame/tent shape, then ducks can't get on. The when you use the boat just drop into back, and let go flat.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Could a engineer make it fold up? Might be a cheap enough very simple solution.

It's got a 200 Merc hanging off it haha but I get what you mean could make either side of the motor fold up

Originally Posted by zimmer

Used CDs in my 4 bay shed. Never worked. Or might have worked a bit initially. Shed is home to swallows and f....n starlings. (Filthy bastards.)
Likewise the hawk effigy I bought off the local pest controller to scare the starlings. He guaranteed me it would work. Strung up using fishing nylon and it moved about nicely in the wind. Starlings sussed it out in no time.

Have to check tractor engine for nests every time I use it. Most common cause of tractor fires. Also have to cover my tractor, trailer, mower when not in use. The bastards even roost on the safety frame and crap away.

Feel for Ryan. Had a fleet of Muscovy ducks several years ago. Started with a pair and soon had a tribe. Nowhere to be seen during the day. Get up in the morning and they'd all be sitting on the back porch, amongst all their new shit. They all went to a "good" home ah mmmm, duck heaven.

I had to kill the sparrows that had nests in my shed to keep them out the hawk alone wasnt effective enough

once the nest is there they will do almost anything to get in

new ones will just find somewhere else

A few years ago a boss purchased one of those multi frequency bird and mice repellers for installation in the big workshop/storeage shed at the dairy farm I worked on. The unit made a terrible high frequency racket that kept the milking staff awake at night in their house 200m from the shed, you couldn't work on any gear in the workshop as the noise got to you, and the mice continued to eat the grain, and the birds continued to nest in there. A total waste of money. It was removed a week later.

wires and strings work on most stuff to stop birds. I have wire hoops stapled on top of some strainers to stop parries landing on them and shitting down onto the gate hook, so I am thinking that two or three rubber bungies across the 'Duck Board' would work like a cattle stop if they were up 100mm above the board. Then just unhook them when you get to the boat. Ten dollar fix

Get some hot foot paste from wrightsons works on most bird pesties that park up where not wanted

Originally Posted by Huk

Get some hot foot paste from wrightsons works on most bird pesties that park up where not wanted

Would that affect people or dogs ?

soak some bread in wasabi and leave it out for them , I'm not sure if it will keep them away but if you could set up and trail cam and post the footage it should be good for a few laughs.

Originally Posted by dannyb

Would that affect people or dogs ?

@dannyb most likely as is a caustic base i think